Dangerous to love

Through the veil

The next morning, the restaurant was busy with activity, and Damian was there as usual looking beautifully dressed, but something had shifted.

The silence between Damian and Maya grew wider Yet, no matter how Maya tried she couldn't ignore him.

From her station, she watched him, and Elena too, as they laughed lightly at what Elena said, and her chest tightened painfully.

Elena leaned in, her hands brushing Damian's arm, a sound that was once familiar, now reminding Maya of what she lost. Every laugh they had made Maya's heart ache.

She tried to focus on her work. But her eyes betrayed her, constantly drawn to where Damian and Elena stood, talking effortlessly.

She could see Elena’s eyes and Damian's laughter as they spoke about a story—laugh she hadn't shared with him in weeks.

Maya was in pain. The pain was sharp, she hated that she still cared, she hated that her heart still ached when she looked at him.

Meanwhile, Elena leaned back with a smile of satisfaction. She planted seeds of doubts in Damian’s mind and watching them grow was exhilarating.

“Soon she’ll have no place here at all,”

In the evening, everywhere was quiet , and most of the staff had gone.

Maya was sitting at a table. She looked exhausted, her eyes swollen from crying.

“I can't keep doing this,”

“He won't see it unless I show him. Unless I make him see Elena for who she really is,”

Damian sits at his office desk, with a glass of whiskey beside him, papers everywhere, he looked broken.

Elena walked in quietly, and she sits close to him, smiling as though nothing in the world is wrong

“You look tired,” she said.

Damian doesn't look at her or say anything.

She's not good for you. She's incompetent and a liability. Sooner or later she’ll ruin you.

Damian finally looked up and stopped her from saying more.

She tilted her head, faking innocence but her satisfactory smile betrays her. She leaned closer to Damian.

“I'm only saying what you know,” she said.

Maya stands by the doorway, watching Damian and Elena, her chest pounding with an uneven heartbeat.

This made her more determined, she was ready to burn herself to the ground to drag the truth out of Elena.

The next day, Maya walked into the restaurant with a folder in her hand , she walked towards Elena and tapped her.

As soon as Elena saw the smile on Maya’s face and the folder in her hand, she knew was in some kind of trouble.

Maya opened the folder, which contained evidence, receipts, and messages proving Elena guilty.

“You've been sabotaging me, and this restaurant and you know it,” Maya said.

Elena's face became pale, she lost her composure, and her usual elegance.

“That's a huge accusation,” she stuttered.

The staff exchanged glances, whispering.

Damian walked from his office, due to the commotion, Maya trembling with anger, and Elena in fear.

“Enough” he shouted

Maya's heart trembling with fear, but still standing strong. She tried explaining everything to Damian, about Elena's evil plans and all she's been doing.

Elena tried to deny it, moving closer to Damian, touching his arms lightly, her tone coated in sugary deceit.

Just when Maya thought she had won.

Damian looked at Maya with anger, believing she's trying desperately to win him over by framing Elena.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Damian didn't believe Maya.

She snatched the folder out of Maya's hand and tore it, tears spilling—but they were all fake.

She made Damian believe she was the victim and Maya was trying to sabotage and frame her.

Damian looked down in disbelief while stuttering the words that came out of his mouth.

“You are suspended indefinitely, please leave this place before destroying what’s left of me.

Maya's chest thudded violently, as words couldn’t escape from her mouth, she felt as if the ground should swallow her.

She was embarrassed and hurt, she had really lost Damian this time.

With tears rolling down her face, she got her belongings and walked away.

Damian was in pain and despair, all odds were against him, he was trying so hard to fight for Maya, that's why all these times he hadn't fired her, she had a place in his heart.

He had to let her go for some time to figure everything out, even if all evidences was pointing towards her, every time he looked at her, he saw the truth in her eyes.

In his office, Damian leaned back with anger and exhaustion, he wanted all this to end.

Elena came closer to Damian with practiced innocence, she let a sob escape, not too loud, but loud enough to echo against his chest. He froze, left choosing between pulling away and letting her stay.

She looked up with her teary eyes, expressing both sorrow and loyalty.

And when Damian didn't push her away, she knew she won a piece of him back.

Days went by, Damian still troubled with thoughts in his house, received an anonymous message, with evidence, receipts and messages, exposing Elena's true colors, he was shocked to the brim.

He looked at the message over and over again, wondering why he didn't realize it sooner.

He quickly stormed to Elena's house, with all the built-up anger and frustration, he showed Elena the anonymous messages sent to him.

“Why Elena, why did you do this,” he said

Elena's face fell pale as she said:

“I love you, I didn't want to lowlife to have you, I don't want to loose you Damian especially to someone like her”

“Well you have lost me, I never want to see you anywhere near me, Maya, or my restaurant,” he shouted.

“You think she's worth it? After everything I've done for you, you'll regret this, Damian,”

He was so furious and felt so much guilt for treating Maya the way he did, after all she was innocent.

He didn't know where to begin or what to say.

As he drove to her house, he practiced what to say, over and over again.

He finally reached her home, he knocked on the door , she was so shocked to see him.

He went to Maya, desperately begging.

“Maya, please, forgive me….his voice was broken, stripped of his arrogance. I should have believed you, I didn't know what to do,”

“I’m sorry,” he cried

Damian, you didn’t just doubt me—you humiliated me. You destroyed me in front of everyone. You let her win.” she said

Her words cut sharper than any blade, no matter how he pleaded, her silence was colder than rejection.

He sank into despair as he watched her walk away. He walked into a bar, tie undone, drink after drink drowned his guilt, but never enough to completely numb the pain.

By the time he staggered into his car, his hands grabbed the wheel but his vision was blurred, and everywhere echoed Maya's voice.

The rain began pouring, driving home in his blurred vision. He pressed harder on the accelerator, reckless and rough.

Then—

Headlights, a screeching tire, and boom, a blinding crash.

Glass shattered, metals screeched and Damian's world went black.